Desert Xpress
Encyclopedia
DesertXpress is a proposal to build a privately-funded high speed rail passenger train from Victorville
, California
, to Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
area to Las Vegas along Interstate 15
as well as an alternative to airline travel. This highway is a direct automobile route between the two regions and carries heavy traffic. Greyhound
buses cover the route in between five and seven hours, while automobiles take around four hours. Currently, there is no passenger train service to Las Vegas. Amtrak
last operated passenger train service to Las Vegas in 1997 on its Desert Wind
route, which was cancelled due to budget cuts.
The city of Victorville was selected as the location for the westernmost terminal
since extending the train line farther into the Los Angeles basin
through the Cajon Pass
would be prohibitively expensive. Victorville is about 40 mi (64.4 km) from Riverside
, where a station was proposed for the California high-speed rail
line. The station will include free parking and through-checking of baggage straight to the Las Vegas Strip
resorts. A future extension would include a new link to the California High-Speed Rail
station in Palmdale.
The train would travel at speeds of up to 150 mph (67.1 m/s) and would make the 186 mi (299.3 km) trip from Victorville to Las Vegas in about 1 hour 24 minutes, shaving about two hours off the travel time. The backers of the project are currently in the process of raising funds for its construction, estimated at between US$4 to 5 billion. The cost would be about $21 million per mile, typical of European HSR construction. The project is set to begin construction in early 2012 and start full service by early 2016.
, although in sections it would pass through federal land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management
and National Park Service
. Station locations in each of the terminus cities have not yet been identified, and the line is not planned to stop at intermediate cities. The train is planned to take 84 minutes to complete a one-way trip between Victorville and Las Vegas.
, where Desert Xpress would join the proposed California High-Speed Rail
system in order to connect with Los Angeles, is a possibility.
on October 26, 2011.
In March 2010, project planners said they could obtain the full funding amount through exclusively private investors, but had also applied for a $4.9 billion loan through the federal Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program. As of October 2011, start of the project was contingent on receiving a $6 billion loan from the federal government, approval or denial of which is expected in mid-2012.
Victorville, California
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Overview
The proposal will provide an alternative to automobile travel between the Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area to Las Vegas along Interstate 15
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...
as well as an alternative to airline travel. This highway is a direct automobile route between the two regions and carries heavy traffic. Greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
buses cover the route in between five and seven hours, while automobiles take around four hours. Currently, there is no passenger train service to Las Vegas. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
last operated passenger train service to Las Vegas in 1997 on its Desert Wind
Desert Wind
Desert Wind was a passenger train route operated by Amtrak from 1979 to 1997. When it first entered service, it ran from Los Angeles, California to Ogden, Utah passing through Salt Lake City and Las Vegas...
route, which was cancelled due to budget cuts.
The city of Victorville was selected as the location for the westernmost terminal
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
since extending the train line farther into the Los Angeles basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
through the Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
would be prohibitively expensive. Victorville is about 40 mi (64.4 km) from Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, where a station was proposed for the California high-speed rail
California high-speed rail
The California High-Speed Rail project is a planned future high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority . Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A...
line. The station will include free parking and through-checking of baggage straight to the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
resorts. A future extension would include a new link to the California High-Speed Rail
California high-speed rail
The California High-Speed Rail project is a planned future high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority . Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A...
station in Palmdale.
The train would travel at speeds of up to 150 mph (67.1 m/s) and would make the 186 mi (299.3 km) trip from Victorville to Las Vegas in about 1 hour 24 minutes, shaving about two hours off the travel time. The backers of the project are currently in the process of raising funds for its construction, estimated at between US$4 to 5 billion. The cost would be about $21 million per mile, typical of European HSR construction. The project is set to begin construction in early 2012 and start full service by early 2016.
Route
The tracks are planned to be laid largely within the right-of-way of Interstate 15Interstate 15
Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...
, although in sections it would pass through federal land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Station locations in each of the terminus cities have not yet been identified, and the line is not planned to stop at intermediate cities. The train is planned to take 84 minutes to complete a one-way trip between Victorville and Las Vegas.
Service to Los Angeles
Although Desert Xpress is intended to serve passengers from Los Angeles, the route does not extend into that city due to the high cost of building rail in urban areas. A future 50 miles (80.5 km) extension to the city of PalmdalePalmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
, where Desert Xpress would join the proposed California High-Speed Rail
California high-speed rail
The California High-Speed Rail project is a planned future high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority . Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A...
system in order to connect with Los Angeles, is a possibility.
Ridership and fares
DesertXpress estimates that it will carry around five million round trip passengers in the first full year of operation, with the company charging fares of around $50 for a one-way trip.Construction
In March 2010, executives with the project said they expected construction to begin in 2010. As of October 2011, construction was planned to begin in the last quarter of 2012, with completion in the last quarter of 2016, subject to funding.Design
A preferred design was identified with the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on April 1, 2011, which began a public comment period that ended on May 2, 2011. The Federal Government approved the design on July 8, 2011, and the planned route was approved by the Surface Transportation BoardSurface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
on October 26, 2011.
Cost and funding
The total cost of the line is expected to be around five billion US dollars.In March 2010, project planners said they could obtain the full funding amount through exclusively private investors, but had also applied for a $4.9 billion loan through the federal Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing program. As of October 2011, start of the project was contingent on receiving a $6 billion loan from the federal government, approval or denial of which is expected in mid-2012.
See also
- California-Nevada Interstate MaglevCalifornia-Nevada Interstate MaglevThe California-Nevada Interstate Maglev project is proposing the construction of a Maglev train line from Las Vegas, Nevada to Anaheim, California. One segment would run from Las Vegas to Primm, Nevada, with proposed service to the Las Vegas area's forthcoming Ivanpah Valley Airport. The top speed...
, a proposed maglev from Anaheim, California to Las Vegas. - Z-TrainZ-TrainThe Z-Train is a proposed passenger train service that would operate primarily on Union Pacific Railroad lines between Los Angeles Union Station, Ontario, California, and a new station to be built adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, with a travel time of five to five-and-a-half hours...
- California High-Speed RailCalifornia high-speed railThe California High-Speed Rail project is a planned future high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority . Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A...